Standing by the Enemy
by mystikeyes
Summary: Dramione fiction. Draco disappeared after failing to kill Dumbledore. The golden trio set out to kill Voldemort and our heroine is captured of course.Authors Note: Chapter 8 NOW READY!.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own anything except the plot. JKR is awesome!

**Standing by the Enemy**

Im tired of never sleeping. I laid in the semi lumpy bed, after getting only 5 minutes of sleep at a time for the majority of the night i might as well be up. We've been out in these woods for months now. Harry was currently on watch at the entrance of the tent, and he was looking dreadful. I hadn't thought it to be possible for him to become thinner. "_well__im__ up anyway, he might as well be getting some sleep instead__." _ I was careful not to wake a sleeping Ron as I stealthed to the front of the magical tent. Harry didn't look as if he was aware id come out, he was staring blankly into the thinning darkness _'Almost morning'_I thought and hurried back inside the tent. I pulled out two mugs and tapped the brim of each once with my wand, then quickly brought the newly filled mugs out.

"Harry." I said firmly to rouse him from his trance-like state. He jumped slightly but made no move to grab his wand.

"hey 'Mione." He mumbled, half asleep. I handed him his tea and sat with him.

"Im up, cant sleep again, if youd like to sleep im ready to take over watch" Harry didn't reply, just sipped his tea quietly. We sat until it was almost light out. Rons snoring drifted out. I remember I has almost loved Ron Weasley, almost wanted to be his, but he'd left us. He was selfish enough to leave us in danger. I don't know if ill ever be able to look at him the same way again. I guess it never would have worked anyway. He would probably always have it in his mind, buried deep, that harry and I were supposed to be together. The thought was laughable to me. Harry was much too much of a brooder for my tastes. Not that I blame him, he does have the weight of the world on his shoulders after all. Besides he does so love Ginny, who has never stopped loving him. Ginny knew from the moment she laid eyes on him.

I miss Ginny. Im so happy I get to be with my boys through all this, but another female would be nice. Fred and George were ecstatic when they told us how Ginny had been terrorizing Hogwarts, taking after them as only a sister can. Of course the world had changed so much since id attended Hogwarts last year. Hogwarts was run by Snape now, who we learned was a deatheater after he'd killed Dumbledore, Harry is a known 'criminal' now, and many of our classmates have been killed or badly injured. More and more every week.

Poor Ron, Lavender died right after Dumbledore's funeral. Story is she got too haughty with a deatheater. Two of Ginny's friends died trying to escape the fight the night Dumbledore was killed, Cho was tortured to the breaking point for information, much like Neville's parents had been. They still thought she was Harry's girlfriend. Shes still in St. Mungo's. Harry had taken that pretty hard. Then Lee Jordan disappeared after he was caught broadcasting, no one knows what happened to him after that, for that matter, no one has seen or heard from Draco Malfoy since that horrible night at Hogwarts either…

"we cant take much more of this." Harry's words brought me out of my thoughts. "we have to do something and soon."

"I know, were close but not close enough. At least weve gotten all the Horcruxes besides the snake and 'him,' were almost done." I tried to comfort him but Harry was having none of it this morning.

"yea close, but people are still dying. Cho and Lee were the last straw for me. We need to attack, before they get wind that Ginny was my girlfriend, before they find us, before anyone else gets hurt!" He was shaking, but he was right. It was time, soon we'd either be celebrating the death of 'him' and rebuilding or…..the alternative was not an option.

Harry stood. "wake Ron would you? We've got a lot of planning to do." And we did.


	2. Chapter 2

The next few days were a wave of planning scenario after scenario. We knew that Voldemort was using the Malfoy Manor as headquarters, so obviously we'd stage the attack there. We knew we'd have to get past at the very least all of the Malfoys, including Bellatrix, and how ever many cronies were hanging around at the time.

We managed to get to Bill and Fleur's a few nights before the attack was planned. It was nice to finally be in a real house again, with good food, and other people to talk to besides Ron and Harry. Ron, however, was still looking at me with adoring eyes. A few short months ago and I would have been puddy in his hands, but lately I was only feeling annoyed. How did he not understand how badly he'd blown any chance with me? Harry couldn't get enough information on how Ginny was doing, causing Bill and Fleur to smirk and when an owl arrived from her, they danced around Harry, taunting him playfully with the letter until he threatened to stun them. It was the first time ive laughed in many months, possibly a year. Has it been more? It was July…yes it had been over a year, we should have already graduated a few months ago, Ginny will be starting her seventh year soon. Unbelievable…. Id missed my own birthday!

We began the final preparations the following morning and said our possibly final goodbyes to Bill and Fleur. Harry handed Bill a letter for the Weasleys and another for just Ginny if he didn't return. They would stay behind and help us escape if anything went wrong or we hadn't returned by morning. Dobby was on alert as well. The gold coins from D.A. would signal them.

Ron, Harry and I stood outside the property in silence, words were not needed now. We faced each other in a circle and embraced in a tightly in a three-way hug. Before we let go we apparated as one. _'I wish I didn't have such a bad feeling about this…'_

We released each other outside the Malfoy Mansion. It was down to business now. We crept up under the invisibility cloak and spotted the first batch of deatheaters standing outside. Four of them, all male. At once we all whispered "Stupefy" and three went down, the unfortunate fourth pulled out his wand and looked around frightened, he got a triple dose. We levitated the bodies to a darkened area under the bushes, and pulled some hair from one of them. I pulled out the polyjuice potion we'd gotten from Bill and added the hair. Harry looked sick as he transformed , his features rounded, she shrank a good 2 inches and quickly gained around 40 pounds.

The transformed Harry walked up to and through the front door with Ron and I following close behind under the cloak. We entered and my jaw immediately dropped. The Malfoy's mansion was huge! It could have easily been converted into an average school. Although it was dead quiet, we had previously decided to take out as many deatheaters as possible before we found Voldemort, so as to hopefully be able to take him on three to one, and make the Avada curse 3x as strong.

One by one, room by room, we found deatheaters, stunned them, and levitated them into closets, behind curtains, anywhere they wouldn't be readily found to give us away. I'd already lost count when the trouble came and a shrill and harsh voice barked from the other side of the room.

"Grant!" We froze. It was Narcissa Malfoy, and following close behind was her darker sister Bellatrix Lestrange. "what are you doing this far inside? Isnt your patrol outside?" Her pale icy blue eyes flashed, it was easy to see her evil son got his eyes from her.

"what do we do?" Ron whispered to me _'think fast __harry'_ I thought '_we don't have a chance if were caught now' _

Harry shrugged nonchalantly "im taking a break. It's hot out there and ive been at it all day!" he whined.

"You whiney, selfish oaf!" Bellatrix raged, storming to him, wand raised. She pointed it at his throat and stared him down "You! Shall return to your post maggot, and the Dark Lord will be hearing about this when he returns. How dare you put us all in jeopardy!!!" she screamed.

"My apologises" Harry looked uncomfortable under her gaze. Ron and I didn't dare to breath.

"Go" she spat. Harry bowed and proceeded back the way we'd come, but as he left Bellatrix yelled and a gash appeared on his back. He cried out in pain and his knees buckled, but he did not fall. The sister left the room grumbling as they went about loyalty. Ron and I waited a few minutes before deciding we could breath normally.

"What now? He's not here" Ron whispered.

"they'll know we were here when they start to find the stupefied deatheaters…..but if we stay, we wont get him, its basically pointless. Why hadn't we thought of what to do if he wasn't here?" I was angry with myself now, _'how could I have been so careless?'_ We headed back out, we needed to regroup no matter what. We found the front door again easily, only to find Lucius Malfoy standing with his back to us, speaking to the transformed Harry.

"What do you mean you don't know where the others are? Its your job to know." Lucius's voice was calm but impatient.

"ill find them, ill find them now" Harry said, but his voice tremble slightly. Lucius didn't move just stood there watching as Harry walked off to "look" for the others. Our way out was blocked, but there was a narrow opening between the door and Lucius, after a few minutes I decided it was our best option to get out now and motioned to Ron to follow me. We walked dreadfully slow towards the door, stopping every other step to make sure we were not heard. The past year worth of starving was suddenly worth it as the opening was plenty big enough for my too tiny frame to fit through.

Unfortunately, the sisters coming up behind us and Lucius turned to greet them, and turned into me as he did so. He cried out in surprise and before he could have a chance to react I shouted "RUN" to Ron and I took off running, Ron quickly passed me clutching the cloak, but stayed close to me "Ron, GO!" I shouted and surprisingly didn't put up an argument. I risked a look behind us and saw the transformed Harry running after us, intentionally missing us with the spells he threw, and bellatrix and Lucius also. Ron reached the edge of the property and looked back, I was only a few yards behind, with harry right behind me, so he disapparated. Harry was only a step or two behind me now and then a shot of pain went through me and I was on the ground, unable to move. Harry stood over me. "Go Harry, you have to go" I pleaded suddenly not caring what happened to me as long as Harry and Ron made it back to safety "No"

"ill be fine, remember the plan, GO!" I made a mental note to give him a long lecture on not following the plans we'd set down after we were out of this mess. Harry didn't argue anymore, but quickly reached into my robe and grabbed my wand so they couldn't break it and a small vial we each carried with us, which he poured into my mouth. "

"well come for you" he looked like me might cry, but he did what he had to and ran, quickly reaching the edge of the property and disapparated. I was alone and stunned with Bellatrix Lestrange standing over me. I was already starting to feel the effects of the potion.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hermione Granger." Bellatrix sneered, her eyes dancing. "what fun I get to have with you mudblood!" she sounded almost pleasant. My mind was racing. I felt like crying and my vision went cloudy. The potion was a temporary mind wipe so I couldn't be tortured into talking. It was only supposed to last a day or so, but I hadn't realized it was going to hurt. It felt like my brain was resting in a pool of hot water. The last thought I had before I passed out was a hope that it hadn't hurt my parents when I wiped their minds.

I woke up in excruciating pain! Bellatrix was cackling, her head thrown back and her smile reaching up to her dark eyes. 'What the hell was going on?' There wasn't a cell in my body that wasn't screaming in pain. Would it ever end? Voldemort was standing next to her, staring intently at me. His red snake eyes didn't waver. Finally he made a small movement towards Bellatrix and she immediately stops, still smiling like a child who'd just gotten the biggest ice cream cone. He took a few easy strides towards me and leaned down until his face was sickenly close to my mouth and sniffed at me. His eyes flashed in anger and he stood upright again, enraged now.

"It's no good now!" he howled "She's under a potion, Get Snape here NOW." He barged out of the room; Bellatrix was quick to skip behind him, smiling evilly as she shot a quick jolt of "crucio!" before disappearing. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy who I hadn't noticed until I heard him sniggering behind me, also followed directly after as well. Finally alone and barely able to breath properly again, I tried desperately to think. 'Just think!' I told myself over and over. How do I get myself out of this, how did I get myself into this for that matter?

I was bound to a metal chair in a huge room that looked like a study or a small library with a desk. Then I realized I must be in the Malfoy Manor and Lucius Malfoy probably used this as an office. 'Rich pricks.' I thought in disgust. 'Too much red' I tried to recall the days before, but there was nothing. I knew who I was, I knew who everyone else was, but specific events and occurrences were lost to me. But then, 'Ah yes' the last day I remember I had been diligently studying for my O.W.L.'s in the Gryffindor common room. Harry and Ron were causing trouble as per usual and Umbridge was terrorizing the school, trying to get rid of Dumbledore. So how did I get here? Voldemort said I had a potion in me. 'Oh god…it didn't matter how I got here anymore, I was at the mercy of Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange, magically bound and a less than stellar memory. Not to mention mercy was something my captures were notoriously lacking.

I now noticed the blood on the rim of my shirt. From the pain on my cheek I assumed it was the one bleeding . I hadn't even noticed. Everything hurt, there was no telling what kind of damage she'd done to me. I could tell my eye was swollen and my throat was smarting and scratchy from screaming…but mostly right now…'I'm just scared.'

From the corner of my swollen eye I caught a flash of white. Then the tall, lanky form of the bastard of Hogwarts slowly came into focus. 'Malfoy' I thought bitterly 'this must be like Christmas for him.' He walked slow, tentatively looking around the spacious maroon room. I braced my self for more pain, but he simply stood in front of me. I kept my head down. I was too tired to care as long as he didn't pull his wand out.

"Granger" he said in a parental manner "what are you doing here?"

It wasn't the mocking tone id been expecting, nor did it have the venom his words usually oozed. He was surprised. I didn't care, the world was spinning and I felt like I might puke on his finely polished boots. 'Boy wouldn't that give him a reason to Avada me'

"Granger" he said again. This time softly and he bent down to make his eyes level to mine. The softness caught me off guard. I simply glared at him. "Listen, don't worry. I know a…" He stopped talking abruptly. The door to the study opened and in walked Professor Snape followed closely behind by Voldemort, Bellatrix and the rest of the lovely Malfoy family.

"Draco… what are you doing with the mudblood?" his aunt asked.

"she was trying to break her bonds aunt Bella, just making sure she didn't escape" he stood tall and proud, his face twisted into a smirk "…and of course letting our guest know just how soon her friends would join her."

"Of course" his mother smiled affectionately. "Our Draco is such a loyal servant to you Master."

Voldemort looked at Draco suspiciously. "We shall see." His eyes never left Malfoy. "Draco…hurt her for us. Show me how loyal you are boy."

My body immediately tensed. I knew what was coming. Draco stared at me, frozen. He looked sick but he recovered from it quickly and once again his face was stone. He raised his wand and shouted. The pain hit me like a boulder, crushing me over and over and over, it burned, it tore, it suffocated. It was torture. The was roaring in my ears and then it was over. The room came back into focus and a shape in front of me slowly sharpened into the long face of Professor Snape.

"Granger," he asked, pausing to sniff at me "who is the current headmaster of Hogwarts?"

Was this a joke? "D-Dumbledore Professor….please, please" I breathed "help me." What was he doing helping them? Had he always been pretending to be reformed?

"And how many times did it take you to pass your apparition exam?" He said looking down his nose at me. How pathetic I must look by now.

"But I haven't taken it yet professor" I whispered, confused. He turned to Voldemort, his chest puffed up.

"She has taken a memory potion, the last few years have been wiped clean." He paused to look at me with a disinterested scowl. "But its only temporary. Should only last a few weeks."

"what potion is this?" Narcissa asked stepping from her husband's side.

"the Membulus Tempralis, a surprisingly difficult potion-most put to much taproot in. Potter must not have brewed it."

Membulus Tempralis…I know that one! It cleans a few years off your memory, originally created for grieving people who couldn't sleep. It granted them some peace but it didn't last weeks, it lasted several hours to a couple days, depending on the concentration of it, at most! Surely Snape knew that. 'Is he helping me?

"Very well." Voldemort replied calmly. "Bellatrix….don't break her before we have extracted the information from her. Come along Draco, it seems you're in the need of more lessons."

They left, Bellatrix alone remained with me. Time blurred together and everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up on a damp, moldy floor. It surprisingly didn't smell bad but it had the feel of death in the air. I was cold and it hurt to move. I was thankful there was little to no light; I wouldn't be able to handle light. My head hurt too much. I gingerly inched my way into a sitting position and froze when I succeeded as I waited for the nausea to die down and the room to stop wobbling. I was drenched in blood and sweat, but I could only remember bits and pieces of my personal time with Bellatrix. There was a slice of bread and a glass of water near the bars of my cell, but there was something in the water and I was pretty sure that the black dots on the bread weren't chocolate.

I tried to disapparated, and wasn't surprised when it didn't work. I was starting to become antsy to know what was going on and how I got here, but I knew it would all be clear as soon as the potion wore off. 'Patience Hermione, patience.' Surely I could handle a few days, but what happens went thy come back after my memory returns? 'Merlin! Don't let me crack….NO! I won't betray any information I've been trusted with. It would be worse torture than Bellatrix could ever put me through if I did.

"You're up." His voice was soft again. I hadn't even heard him come in, but there he was, standing with his back on the door of the dungeon, his skin looked grey in the shallow light.

"Please Malfoy, let me rest…laugh, sneer, whatever, just no more pain, not tonight." The memory of Neville's parents creeped back to me and tears threatened to fall, I blinked them away. They wouldn't be allowed to hurt me emotionally. That's the one thing I wont let them do, the only thing I can control now. 'Wait….was I supposed to remember Neville's parents? Had I known that already? 'I couldn't remember…. 'Please, please' I silently pleaded 'don't let my memory come back yet.'

"How about some food?" He held up a small bag with a sandwich packed with toppings inside that he'd pulled from his robes.

"Why? Poisons not going to get you your precious information." I spat to him

"Just food, no tricks, I swear." He held up his hand in mock oath.

"And why should I believe that, deatheater?"

"You don't really have any reason to, but if you would prefer the mouse-dropping sandwich ill leave you to it, but really, what do you have to lose at this point?" He held out the bag and waited patiently as I stared at him, weighing the options around. He was right; I guess I had to trust him this time. I didn't stand a chance if I couldn't eat. I silently took the bag, but I wasn't about to say thank you. It smelled amazing and after looking to make sure there were no obvious signs of a trick I took a small bite and swallowed. I waited had intended to wait a few minutes before continuing to eat to make sure it wasn't poison, but so hungry my body seemed to move on its own, and I ate with an almost animalistic need. He waited until I was done devouring the sandwich to speak again.

"Hermione" he brought my attention back to him now. He actually looked concerned. I shook it off. "How do you feel?"

I didn't know whether to laugh at such a stupid question or bee scared that id played right into the hands of his trap by eating that sandwich. "Is that a serious question?" I growled "look at me for Merlin's sake!"

He rolled his eyes slightly and held his hand up again to reveal a shiny silver flask. "Take a drink of this. It'll numb the pain."

My jaw dropped. I was honestly floored. Giving me food was one thing, but this is the same boy who spent every second id ever known him trying to put me in pain, now he was trying to take it away? "Why are you helping me? And why haven't you called me a mudblood yet?"

"Would you like me to?" He gave his trademark smirk now and leaned sideways against the cold rock wall, arms folded at his stomach. Had I not hated him and had I not been a tortured prisoner of his father and his master I would have thought it was somewhat flirtatious.

"Of course not you git! I just want to know why…"

"Because you're not." His expression was unreadable again and I decided that issue was better left alone. So I decided to go for the other.

"So why are you helping me?"

He shrugged. "My aunt's fairly fond of torture, and she's thrilled that she gets to use you. She told my mother the more you scream the louder she wants you to. Besides I doubt Potter would be very happy if you were returned broken." No emotion was showing through again, not even his smirk, even before he at least had some emotion behind his words, even if it was only hatred.

"Malfoy, what's happened?"

He looked at me like I was wrong another planet. "You broke in, Weasel and Potter ran, you got caught."

"No, not that, to you. What happened to you? I mean you were always void of most human emotion most of the time, but now it's like talking to a corpse. Is the war actually getting to you?"

He shrugged and looked anywhere but at me, but now a hint of sadness was etched on his face. Then I got a flash of memory from only a few hours ago. His face stoic, his eyes dead, he raised his wand 'Crucio' he said loudly and a scream, _my_ scream, echoed in my mind.

"You helped her torture me!" I hissed .His face contorted with rage.

"I had no choice!" he whispered fiercely, stepping closer to the bars. "Do you also remember I was ordered to…to prove my bloody loyalty?" His face suddenly went soft and he knelt down and placed his face to the bars of my cell. "Please" he whispered "believe me it brought me no pleasure Hermione. I had to, I have to keep up appearances, if I didn't id be right in there with you and then I wouldn't be able to help you at all now. Look, I know you wont believe me and you really don't have a reason to, but I swear I'm gonna prove it. I'm going to get you out of here somehow." He got up abruptly and left just as suddenly as he came. I didn't move for a long moment, too stunned to even breath.

What had just happened and what happened to Draco Malfoy?


	5. Chapter 5

I didn't see another soul at all the next day. I could hear stomping above me but then a long, somewhat deafening silence that no doubt lasted hours. Bits and pieces of the day before came back to me little by little; Runs puppy eyes, mixing the potions while Fleur talked aimless about anything and everything she could think of, laughing at something Bill and Fleur were doing and a deatheater whispering 'Well come for you' with tears in his eyes, and I was positive it had to have been Harry or Ron. 'We must have used polyjuice.'

I racked my brain for every possible way to escape, but the cell was well made and sturdy. Tried repeatedly to call Dobby to me without any success. The day passed slowly and I was hungry and in pain, but a small sip every few hours from the flask full of numbing potion Malfoy had given me was enough to dull my nerves comfortably, and I could sleep and stand without immediately falling. The sun was starting to set and I faded quickly to another deep sleep, this time I was greeted with dreams of electricity and suffocation and I woke in a cold sweat.

As I looked around I noticed someone had put food next to my cell, fresh food. I ate as if it would disappear if I took a breath in-between bites. There was a note under the sandwich on yellow paper. I smirked; the ultimate blond uses yellow parchment. I slowly unfolded it:

_"Sorry I couldn't sneak more food for you. They have a long day planned for you tomorrow. Drink half of the potion when you see the sun rise."_

'Great' I thought, My muscles were already tensing in dread. I stayed up the rest of the night going over every lie I could think of to keep all the information I remembered to myself and keep them away from my friends. 'I wont betray them.'

At dawn I carefully drank what I hoped was half of the numbing potion. It immediately made me woozy, I couldn't think straight. Time passed and all I could do was sit as I felt it claiming my body in waves. A simple thought was a trying job, but I fought hard against blacking out; but in the end, I didn't have a chance.

"You're sure you searched every inch of her cell?" a female voice rang out, shrill and edgy.

"Completely." Another voice, male.

"We must be missing something!" She screeched. "…Well, no matter, throw her in here. We have other matters to attend to."

The man who was carrying my semi-conscious form tossed me into the cell. I landed and rolled, I knew it hurt but I didn't feel it. They stared at me for a moment, and I stared back in defiance. They soon left without a word, loudly clicking the lock in place.

I looked around but nothing had changed. I was still a prisoner, but…I wasn't in any pain. Not even the hunger pains I was sure were supposed to be there were getting through. What had happened? It was dark out now and the moons light crept in through the slit of a window above me. A whole day gone… "What happened?" I asked myself a loud. The answer didn't come but I knew enough to know that I was still heavily under the numbing potions effects. I wasn't surprised when I noticed I was covered in blood again. I checked myself for injuries and gasped at the damage that had been done to my body. I had wounds on every body part. My arm resembled raw hamburger. I didn't want to think about how much pain id be in if it wasn't for Malfoy's potion. How much longer would it last?

'WAIT, where was the flask?'

'Oh god, what if they found it… I felt like crying again, but I refused to give them that satisfaction. I did miss Harry and Ron though, and my parents, Ginny, the burrow, hell I even missed sleeping in that magical tent compared to this. 'Where were they? Why hadn't Dobby come for me?' So many questions and I had answers for none. They would come. I'm not going to die here and for some reason Malfoy is helping me, it provided at least a glimmer of hope. I wasn't about to turn his help down but I had to admit I was worried about the possibility of him doing all this to gain my trust only to betray it.

I wasn't surprised when Malfoy silently slipped into the hall of the dungeon. I was when I saw him chuckling quietly as he closed the door behind himself.

"Whats funny?" I asked tentatively. He said nothing, only shook his head brushing off the question as he started pulling objects out of his robes.

"Can you stand?" he asked.

"why?"

"Can. You. Stand?" He said slowly. It was useless to push him. I stood and walked towards the front of the cell. He looked at me appraisingly. He held up his wand and whispered a minor healing spells, the abrasions to my face and hands were almost healed. "I can't heal everything, and almost nothing all the way, but it will help lessen the scarring."

"I know…they can't know you're helping me."

He nodded and sighed deeply. "Hermione….i need to heal your arm and back or youll keep losing blood. I'm sorry,….but I need you to take your shirt off." His eyes were to the floor. I stood there for a moment, not sure if I should believe him or not, but he was right. I moved to take my once grey long sleeved shirt off. I was surprised I still had use of my mangled arm and I hadn't even been aware id received injuries to my back. I let my sticky, blood soaked shirt fall to the floor, in that moment I was suddenly glad id wore a shirt I wasn't crazy about. I choked back a laugh, it was odd, the things that pop in your head in awkward situations.

"ok." I said to Malfoy, who was still staring at the dirty, blackened floor. He looked up and immediately noticed my arm. Pulling off my shirt had made it bleed heavier and it was dripping on the floor faster than before.

"Wow…give me your arm." He said grimly. I did and he started whispering healing spells again. My arm was still mangled but it became a bit shallower and he healed some of the skin around it. Madame Pomfrey had taught us the more skin the better. 'Helps promote healing, gives the scab something to grab onto.' I couldn't help it, I laughed out loud now and he looked up at me confused.

"It's nothing." I assured trying to stop smiling. Still confused, he nodded but returned to inspecting his work on my arm for another moment. When he was done, he asked me to turn around. As I did I heard his sharp intake of air and a curse under his breath.

"Damn, my aunt really did a number on you."

"What is it?" I asked, not sure I really wanted the answer.

"She's taken to whipping spells, do you not remember?" He was healing my back a bit. I was beginning to get some feeling back, but it still didn't hurt. I felt the gashes tighten as they re-grew bits of skin.

"No, all I remember is drinking the potion you gave me and then I was being carried back into the cursed cell and I was covered in new injuries.

He laughed now. A deep laugh that was resonating on the empty walls. "Granger, you amaze me. I was wondering what happened, but it would make sense, if you don't remember any of it. I think you drank too much of the potion. You probably went into an altered state of awareness. You were the most defiant ive ever seen anyone." He smirked at me.

"I was awake?" I asked in wonder.

"Quite, and laughing at every spell, curse and blow they hit you with, I've never seen anything like it. They hit you with crucio and you just giggled at them. Two curses at once Granger! I tell ya you have a laugh that could rival Aunt Bella."

"Thanks…I think." This new information had me in shock. I withstood two unforgivable curses at once? And still had my mind? Was that even possible?

"Sorry, I guess that's not much of a compliment for you. Put your shirt back on Granger." I did and turned around again to find him giving me a sheepish smile. "Here" He said pulling out more items from his robe, to go along with the food he already sat next to the cell door. "You'll need to eat after you drink this." He held up a small vial with ruby liquid inside. "This will speed up your healing and this" He held up another vial, this one even smaller with clear liquid. "Is filled with Phoenix tears, as im sure you know, it will heal almost any injury immediately. When the time comes to get you out of here, you might have to use it, but don't use it unless you're on the verge of death."

I slowly nodded. "But…the flask is gone. If they found it, they'll know you were helping me."

He laughed at me again. "I appreciate the concern Granger, but you should worry more about yourself now. Take the healing." He smiled slyly at me as I handed the now empty vial back to him and he reached back into his robe and pulled out the missing silver flask "I believe this is what you were looking for. I came and got it after they took you. Where did you hide the note I gave you?"

"Oh its just in my pocket." I reached in my jeans slowly to avoid reopening the wounds on my hand and pulled out the note, which was now covered in my dried blood and his writing was not longer able to be seen.

I could feel the numbing potion wearing off and I was feeling sluggish. I couldn't help collapsing on the chilly floor. I turned to him as I adjusted myself to a comfortable position. He was watching me with an interested expression. "eat" Was all he said. I couldn't take much more of this, I needed answers.


	6. Chapter 6

"…Malfoy?" I waited. He said nothing but raised an eyebrow. "You never gave me a straight answer before. Why are you helping me?" He looked annoyed. I thought he might turn and leave without another word.

"There are reasons. Don't question everything."

I felt my blood start to boil. "I have answers for nothing Malfoy! I need answers, I need to question. I need for something in my wretched life to make sense right now; you're showing me I can rely on you for some reason. I want to know if I'm putting my faith in someone whose worth it!"

He still looked annoyed, and if I accomplished anything in my tiny rant it was only making him angrier. "My reasons. Are mine." How could I make him understand?

"Please." I whispered "It's important to me."

He was facing the wall, I thought he was leaving, but he reeled around to face me. "You think your life is wretched Granger? That makes me sick! You don't have to fear the very people youre supposed to trust the most, the very people that claim to love you wouldn't kill you for going against their wishes. Don't you dare cry to me about how horrible your life is. I'd kill for your life. Is that reason enough for you Granger? He hissed. I could almost see his blood getting hotter with every word he spoke.

I was speechless. I'd never really thought that he lived a life like that, never having anyone he could trust, fearing for his life at every turn. He couldn't even be sure of who liked him for who he was and not who his parents are. Of course he lived a life like that; Voldemort lived in his house for Merlin's sake. What must that do to someone? He turned to leave again.

"No, wait! Please stay." He turned his head to face me and smirked.

"Miss me already?"

"In a way, ill admit it gets rather lonely in here , would you stay for a while?"

"I suppose it could." He looked at the dungeon door "but not for long." He looked as if he couldn't decide if he should stay or make a run for it. I don't get him. Hell help me but hes not comfortable speaking with me? "So what do you want Granger?"

"Hermione. You've spared me a great deal of pain, we should be on a first name basis." He simply shrugged. "Youre right know, about my life. Aside from being trapped in here and such, my life hasn't been a bad one. Its been a mostly happy one actually." He nodded slowly and after a moment he took a step closer to the cell bars that separated us and sat down.

"You've been here three days, I bet you're wondering where your fearless bodyguards are?" I was suddenly on full alert. I think I felt my heart stop for a split second, and I quickly tried to prepare myself for whatever news be told me of my dearest friends. "Don't worry they're all right as far as I know. I know they're not dead and we don't have them, be thankful of that. They came for you last night, about 5 of them, Weasel, Potter, and older Weasel, the werewolf and that blond chick who couldn't save her sister in the Triwizard Championship." I barely breathed. " They didn't make it very far, we knew they'd be coming for you being part of the 'Golden Trio' and all, but Potter and Weasel fought hard, ill give them that much."

"So im stuck here, they failed and im going to die here…"

"You could look at it like that, or you could open your damn eyes and look to me, ive been working out you 'escape' since they brought you in here. Smartest in our class indeed!" he scoffed at me.

"You're serious? You're really going to go against all of them and help me escape? What happened to all those years of hurting me and all the names, trying to make my life hell. Heres your chance, and you want me to escape?" He simply nodded, his face emotionless once more. "So how am I going to escape?"

He smiled now and didn't look at me. "In time. You'll know in time."

"Draco…I tried calling a house elf friend of mine to me, but he didn't come. He's never not come before."

"No. I don't suppose he would, this particular dungeon is charmed so that nothing can apparated in our out. It's also sound proof to anything outside of the Manor. I put a silencing spell on the dungeon before I come in every visit, wouldn't be too good if they heard us talking."

"Smart boy, so when am I going to 'escape' exactly?

"Not tonight. Voldemort's still here, any other questions? Wait, forget I said that. Youll never stop talking if I say that." I blushed but I knew he was right.

"sorry"

"No, I am. Of course you have questions, I just have very few answers I can give you. Not to mention to give away knowledge is to give away power and you can imagine how keen I am on that." I couldn't help but giggle. So the regular old Malfoy was still in there. He stared at me with a peculiar expression I couldn't read. I immediately stopped giggling.

"What?" I asked.

"Hermione, you should laugh more" The air caught in my throat. I didn't know how to take that and thankfully he didn't wait for me to say anything. He nodded towards the food by the door still uneaten. "You need to eat." I scooped up the sandwich, as well as an apple, a pumpkin cookie and a chocolate frog. I smiled gratefully to him and proceeded to devour everything in about 5 bites, except the apple which I was now nibbling on.

"I failed to kill Dumbledore." He whispered. I stopped chewing and started to question him with my mouth full, it only came out as mumbles. "Just listen for once Granger. Just eat and listen… It was my job to kill good ol' Dumbledore but I couldn't do it and Snape had to do my job for me. The Dark Lord wasn't too please with me, hasn't been ever since and ive been locked in this hellhole since I haven't proved my loyalty. I cant be allowed to fail anymore missions. I have to take special lessons with the Dark Lord himself now. He wants to make sure his future right hand is properly trained." He scoffed.

"so many think im to become his heir. Havent they figured it out yet? He wont let himself die. Hes a nightmare that wont go away, wont end." I debated if I should tell him about the Horcruxes, but immediately decided against it.

"He brought a couple of children in months ago, muggle children. He took them straight from their own home. I didn't find out until later but he fed the younger one to his damned snake that night and the other was only 7. He left her in here until it was hungry again. I don't know why I came in here in the first place but I did and I came back every night and talked with her. She was so sweet, so pure and scared. She was so scared for her little brother, 'Do you know where Maxxy is Draco?' I could never help her and her mother, she didn't want her mother to be worried about her. She was called Lucy. She sang and she loved cinnamon cookies." Draco spoke with a far away look in his eye and his voice cracked just once. "She was the first muggle id ever just sat and spoken to. I have to say she made me think. Id do magic tricks for her just to make her laugh, and then one night I came down to see her and she was gone. When I heard what happened to her, it was the first time in my life id ever cried for someone besides myself."

" After that I started thinking for myself. I wiped clean everything I'd ever learned, everything I thought I knew, believed in. I re-taught myself. I have to accept the 'lessons' our precious Dark Lord gives me and Ill continue to use it to build up all the hatred I can for him. With any luck ill be the one to take him down and rebuild my families honor. Hell, maybe ill even join your S.P.E.W. cause. I think its crazy but then again, I do have a lot to redeem myself for. THAT'S why im helping you Hermione. Because I have no reason to hate you, because you have everything going for you, everything ive ever dared to dream of having and someone in this world should be happy." He stopped and shrugged again "Youre still a bossy goody know-it-all though." He finished with a smirk.

If there hadn't been bars separating me from him I would have thrown my damaged arms around him and made sure he never felt alone again but all I could say was "Im proud of you Draco. It takes an extremely strong person to do that, and lead a double life as well. If it counts for anything, you have my respect." He gave a cloudy smile as an answer but it was the happiest id ever seen him. " and when you do decide to kill Voldemort," I continued " Be sure to let us know and you will have help."

"Save it , you know you and your precious 'Order of the Phoenix' will never help the likes of me. Potter and Weasel hate me too much."

"Well, it would help if you didn't call him Weasel" I scolded.

"Besides, no one would give me credit for it, it would be all about Potter, hes the chosen one right?"

"Does it matter who gets credit for it as long as it happens?"

"It bloody well does Granger! I still have my pride. Like I said, I have a lot to redeem myself for and taking out that bastard would go a long way to restoring my name." with that said he stood once again and made his way to the door. "By the way, I loosened a brick in the left corner, hide the potions there."

"ok,…and thank you"

"Hermione?...Do you still hate me?"

I couldn't help smiling. "No, not at all"

He stood silent and still for a thoughtful moment. "good, just….just remember that tomorrow, remember that no matter what I have to do to you tomorrow….please" I was scared now and I wanted badly to tell him he didn't have to do it, but we both knew he did. 'double life' the words echoed in my ears "ill remember, I promise" He bowed to me slightly and left with out another word.

I found the loose brick and hid the potions after taking another few sips of the numbing potion. With too much to think about and full for the first time in days, I somehow found much needed rest.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day passed slowly. I found myself becoming accustomed to the long waits and tried to imagine how much longer I had to live like this, and how much longer id want to live if this was to become a long term routine, but I did my best to not to think about things like that, I did my best to escape and I hadn't a chance in this cell without a wand. I had to rely on my friends now. I had to rely on Draco now. He came in before the lackey deatheaters and checked on my injuries and healed a bit more of my back and arm, not to mention he refilled the flask which I gratefully took a large gulp of and felt it slowly drain into my stomach, and felt the warmth spread from my center until it was no longer warm but nothing. He only stayed, at most, for three minutes. As he turned to leave he looked back at me over his shoulder and smiled at me, a sad smile but genuine.

"Make it through the day Hermione, you'll be free by morning." And then he was gone.

His promise was what kept me going throughout the next several excruciating hours. It wasn't bad at first, but after a few hours had passed the numbing potion was wearing off and they were getting angrier and angrier that their spells had not been effecting me. They wanted to break me and as the pain slowing crept in they thought they got their wish. I thought I was on the verge of death multiple times, I might very well have been, but they kept healing me just to wound me all over again.

"Cant have you going into shock and not feeling anything now can we? No we cant!!" She spoke to me as if I were an infant then laughed heartily at herself, impressed greatly with herself.

Draco was in charge for awhile. His face betrayed nothing. In those hours he was the same bastard id always known, the only thing he didn't do was taunt me, but it went unnoticed since Bellatrix was doing it enough for the both of them as well as interrogating everything, from where Harry was to who I wanted to find my body first. A few times I was on the verge of giving in, anything to make them stop, but I couldn't do it. I found it physically impossible to form simple words, and then a moment of clarity slipped through. I was protecting them. Not just my friends, but everyone. Harry was the hope of the wizarding and the muggle world. If they got to Harry, would anyone step up to take down Voldemort? I wasn't going to take a chance on it. I would not speak. They could and would do what they wished with me. They were safe with me.

My repeated refusals enraged Bellatrix so much that she couldn't help taking over for Draco. She even stopped using the wand after awhile and started using knives and long hardened sticks, The worst was when she grabbed a candle and held it under my chin. Draco stood to the rear of the room watching stoically. Voldemort stood beside him, with his hand resting on Draco's shoulder. 'constant lessons' I thought as she picked up the wooden pole again, this time concentrating on my legs.

Finally, after my arms and legs had all been broken for around the forth time, since they'd kept healing the shattered bones, I blacked out. Too soon I was revived unknowns' to them. I was being unbound. They had not bothered to heal my broken bones or any of the other various injuries this time. The pain was making it impossible to keep quiet and a tall, burly deatheater smiled cruelly as he grabbed a handful of my hair and started to drag me along the floor into the semi safety of my cell. I don't remember much of the drag back except for I have never looked at stairs the same way again. It's crazy to think that id rather be drug down stairs, but the alternative was to be thrown, and I felt my ribs crack and the broken bone pierce through the skin on my arm. The next thing I knew I was back in the cell and with a final kick to my side I was left alone.

The pain was too great to handle. I was frigidly cold and my vision was fading in and out, black and then back, black and then back. I willed myself to focus on something, to make my vision clear again. My gaze landed on the plate next to the door. There was no stale bread and infected water this time, only a dead and bloody rat lay on the plate with the cup overturned nearby. I couldn't even turn away in disgust, nor move when the blood from the various wounds to my body oozed around my face. I couldn't force my battered body to even roll over. Breathing was getting more difficult by the second. I was sure id had internal bleeding and I felt on fire but I was freezing from blood loss.

'im dying.' I thought 'All I had to do was survive the night and he'd get me to safety and I couldn't.' I was as good as dead. Helpless. The phoenix tears were so close, freedom was so close and I couldn't get to it! I roared in rage and pain, desperation and fear, but I made no sound.

"Harry, Ron" I whispered to the darkness. I closed my eyes and tried to will my love and goodbyes to them. I knew they would blame themselves for this. I wish I could tell them not to. Not to blame themselves or let my death break them. 'god this might make Harry snap, he's lost so much already.' Hes got to remember I came here voluntarily, Id told him to leave me. I made that call, even if he'd scooped me up he would've been caught too, and then where would the fate of the world be?

"Kill them Harry" I whispered again, begging the message to reach his ears. Wishing I could have another day with my dearest friends and letting the anger fill me again. Wishing for the chance to tell him "Kill them all."


	8. Chapter 8

"Hermione!"

I had hands on me and my cell door was open now. Draco was gently rolling me on to my back, which hurt but I was past the point of caring about the pain. I hadn't even heard him come in. He left my side for a moment, when he returned he carefully lifted my head and held it in one of his hands.

"Open your mouth." His other hand was on my chin trying to tug it open.

"Draco….they've killed me" I whispered "they won."

"Not if you open your mouth dammit!" He yelled, and he yelled loud. My attention was fully on him now, and he took advantage of my surprise and poured several drops of salty liquid into my mouth. "youre going to be fine, it'll all be over soon." He set to work mending my broken bones and every wound he found. The haze id be under started to clear and soon I felt relatively healthy again. I didn't have a wound left on my body but everything still hurt. The pain was merely a memory refusing to let go as well as several bruises so bad they were a deep sick green.

"Better?" He asked several minutes later when I finally managed to sit up. He had already started muttering cleansing spells to rid me of the grime and blood that seemed to cling to me like a second skin. I nodded and realized exactly what I needed.

"You wouldn't happen to have any water would you?" I asked with a noticeably still shaky voice. He smiled now, relief clearly evident on his face and grabbed the empty, abandoned glass next to the plate a la dead rodent. With a tap of his wand the glass brimmed with blue water and didn't empty even as I drank. When id had my fill I turned to him, he was sitting quietly watching me sadly. "what is it?" I asked.

He gave a quick half smile. "We have to get you out of here, they've gone for now but they'll be back when they've finished burning down some poor blokes house." He stood and walked to the cell door and grabbed a bundle of cloth I hadn't even noticed until now. "Put this on" He handed me a green robe with silver button and trimmed sleeves. Had it been any other time I would have laughed throughout the night. It was laughable. Me? In Slytherin Robes? Nevertheless I put up no argument and took the fresh robes. He turned and faced the wall as I peeled off the bloody clothes id been wearing for the week and slipped the robes over my head. They smelled so clean I could have gotten lost in them. I hadn't seen anything clean in what felt like years.

"They'll be coming here for you in the morning" Draco spoke to the wall, and I remembered where I was and quickly finished dressing.

"I'm ready"

He turned around again, his face fallen and empty. "They'll be coming for you in the morning" He repeated "Voldemort told us in the gathering that if you were still alive when they came for you they were to offer you a chance to join us, let us use you to get to Potter or they would simply use your body as bait."

I think the reality that I had almost died only minutes ago was starting to sink in. _'Use your body as bait'_ I rolled the words around my head but still couldn't grasp it, 'Bastards' I thought angrily. Of course they would continue to use me after they killed me, and of course Harry would have come, even if he knew it was only my body. He wouldn't care. Cant say I would do any different for him. Draco closed the gap between us and place his hands on my shoulders and dipped his head to look me in the eye.

"Needless to say, I cant let any of that happen. Im making sure you survive, even if I have to give you my life to do it." Without another word and be fore I could react he grabbed my hand and led me out of the cell and dungeon, through several long hallways and after quite a few minutes we entered a room with nothing special about it, and he removed a covering and logs from the fireplace then the trapdoor beneath it. Below the fireplace was a staircase. He resealed the door as we descended the steps. He whispered "Lumos" and the sudden light revealed a long and dusty corridor. Cobwebs stuck to use as we walked and I finally stopped trying to rid myself of them.

"This corridor is long enough to lead to grounds off Fathers property, Potter and Weasel will be waiting for you at the rendezvous point." I looked at him puzzled. How did he know that? He smiled at my confusion. "I sent an owl a few hours ago. I'm sure they think it's a trap but they come anyway, if it means they have a chance to get you back." He was practically running down the pathway, pulling me with him, the tunnel had many turn and I got turned around easily.

"what will they think when they find me gone?

"Not sure, haven't gotten that far yet. They probably think your bodyguards came for you and overpowered me" He chuckled. "They love that"

"They're going to blame you arnt they?" I asked on the verge of tears

"At least they'll be right, for once."

"No, they'll hurt you, they'll kill you. Ill go back. They cant kill you, not for me! I cant be that selfish" It hasn't even crossed my mind that he would get blamed for it even if he wasn't caught red handed. I started to turn back but his grip was dominant.

"Look, you're getting out of here even if I have to stun you. I'll carry you out if I have to but you're going Understand?" His voice was harsh and I had learned better than to argue with that tone. A cold knot formed in my stomach as we reached the end of the tunnel, which was a solid dead end. He waved his wand across the wall "Superior" He stated and a ladder appeared.

"You're free. Just climb. They'll meet you on the otherside." I couldn't move. They would kill him and it would be my fault. I had to admit I would miss the boy id gotten to know. He stared at me and I stared back, wanting freedom but not entirely wanting to go, not wanting to leave him to what was supposed to be my fate.

"You look good in my robes Granger." Before the blush even came to my cheeks he grabbed a handful of the green material that hung loose around my stomach and pulled me close to him, his lips pressing to mine, his hand in my hair holding me in place, the other hand on my lower back. Tender and forceful all at once. My knees went limp. I returned the kiss with out even a second thought. Just as abruptly as he'd kissed me he pushed me gently away, towards the ladder. "Go."

"What about you?

"Ill be fine."

"Come with me" I pleaded "They'll kill you.."

"You're faith in me has gotten you this far, don't give up on me now Hermione. " He smiled. I will see you again. Now go!

I could help it, I kissed him again and never wanted to stop. It only took a few days to change everything I thought I knew about my enemy. I turned and went up the ladder without another word and tears brimming in my eyes thankful he wouldn't see them. The door at the top was firmly in place and it took great effort in my weakened condition to open it. The night air greeted with a cold slap and only a moment later I felt great, strong arms closing around me and lifting me out of the hole from above.

"Mione!"

"Ron!" I cried as he hugged and then Harry hugged my side. I looked back down as my boys embraced me, into the tree stump id come out of to see Draco still looking up at us. My tears flowing freely, the boys clutched me tighter and I felt the familiar tug behind my navel and we were gone.


End file.
